Broken Trust
by s82
Summary: Tim's dealing with the betrayal of Batman in his own special way. Takes place *directly* after Robin 87.


Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters-they belong to DC. Also, I use everything without permission and make no money from this work of fiction.

Rating: PG to PG-13 for two swear words.

Author's notes: This takes place directly after Robin #87 (SPOILERS) and it's a short little snippet from Rob's POV. I know Tim may seem a little out of character (you'll get what I mean when you read the end) however, I bet he would be OCC after what Batman did. Also, I know that this is late since much has happened since this Robin issue, but I still felt compelled to post it.

~*~

Broken Trust

By Susie

~*~ 

I'm _still_ running.

I haven't stopped for well over twenty minutes even though I have a cramp, my legs hurt, and my arms are tired. Branches have been beating restlessly against my body and I can already tell my skin will be peppered black and blue tomorrow. Yet, I just _can't_ stop running; I have to get away. I have--

THUMP!

"Ouch!" Darned tree root, didn't see it till it was too late. Now I'm sprawled on the forest floor, I can feel that my knees and hands are battered from the hard rocks I landed on. Geez, that really hurt. Stupid, gosh-darn, effing, piece of--

"Shit!" Wow, that actually felt good. Normally I'm not one to yell out profanities and have little emotional outbursts, but, then again, it's not every day that my mentor and girlfriend betray me. Slowly, I push myself to my feet. Great I'm going to be sore tomorrow. Okay Tim, take a deep breath and find your way back to Brentwood.
    
    Forty minutes later I'm sitting on top of the gym at school. I pull my knees up to my chest and make myself into a small ball. Good god, I just feel so... so... lost and... alone. In less than an hour, I lost the trust of two people who were *so* close to Robin. What am I supposed to do now? Act like nothing happened? Quit? Leave town? Crap, I'm so confused.

Beep!

Wonderful. My watch is nicely reminding me that I have to get back to my dormroom. I really don't think I'll be able to handle school today. Scratch that, I _know_ I won't be able to handle school. I'll just have to sneak in and ask Alfred to get me out of school; family emergency or something. Guess, in a weird way, this _is_ a family emergency. I need to go someplace and collect my thoughts, maybe then, things will fall into place.

Good ol' Alfie came through for me with no questions asked. He knows I'll tell him and I will. Just later cause later's always better.

Besides, right now I'm speeding away from Brentwood towards our Young Justice hideout. It's the only place that I can sit and think and I figure that the rest of the team is out and about doing something. Also, there's a computer there and a talk with Dick sounds like a grand idea right now. Maybe we can exchange Batman horror stories…hmm…that's not a bad idea at all.

Well, the hangout *looks* empty, but then again looks *can* be deceiving, so--

"Hello, anyone here? It's Robin." No answer: good. Okay, so now I'm here, what to do? I could wallow in self-pity. Yell. Perhaps cry. Or better, I'll just beat something to a pulp. Since it's not nighttime yet, the dummies in the gym will have to do.

I can live with that.

Thump. Whack. Crack. "Shit."

Well, that was nice. An hour of mumbling profanities and beating a plush person has calmed me a bit. It's not made anything clearer, but at least I don't want to kill Bruce anymore. Maim him, maybe, but not kill. 

Ugh, the exhaustion from lack of sleep and physical excursions I did, suddenly hits me hard. Slowly, I make my way to the makeshift beds we have and fall into the soft mattress. Just need to rest and then I'll consider heading home.

"Is he dead?"

"He's not *dead*, Bart. He's breathing."

"Oh."

"Man, Rob looks beat."

"Should we wake him?"

"I don't know, he might want to rest."

Oh yeah, like I can rest when everyone's talking right over me. Time to rise and shine, Tim.

"Hello." By the distance that Kon jumps back I must have startled them. Good. Inside I'm grinning like an idiot. "What are you guys doing here?" Looking at the gang, I notice they seem to be avoiding eye 

contact. That _can't_ be good.

"Well, you see..."

"...that is..."

"...we planned..."

"Wondergirldecidedtohaveapartybutwedidn'tknowwheretofindyousinceyouweren'tinGothamsowewentaheadwiththepartyanyways." I watch as all the YJ members seemed to blush at exactly the same time after Bart finished his speed-speech. So, they're having a party and I wasn't invited or rather I was giving a half-hearted invitation. If they wanted to they could have used the YJ communicators that everyone _should_ have. Why does not being invited bother me _so_ much more right now? Oh well, shrug it off and push through.

"Let me grab my stuff." I rise to leave, but Cassie flies in front of me.

"Come on Robin, why don't you stay?" Normally, I'd leave, but right now... maybe…this is what I need.

"...and then I knocked him to the moon!" Ahh, a Superboy story; got to love those exaggerations. I must admit that staying was a good idea. I feel twenty times better, sure there's still that nasty black cloud over my head, but--

"What's the matter, Rob? You're even less talk-a-tive than normal." Impressive job, Cassie. Wondergirl seems to be getting better at this detective stuff, but still... you can't top the Master.

"Nothing." Oh no, she's giving me the I-know-you're-hiding-something look that Dick gives me whenever he thinks I'm injured. I sigh deeply and draw even more worried looks. Hmm, they actually seem... concerned? Why would they be? I mean they don't know _me_, they know Robin, and only then as a leader and a "stick in the mud". Why would they concern themselves with someone that won't even--

Suddenly, I have an idea. An evil, backstabbing, yet perfectly legit idea. I _owe_ it to _him_, that's for sure. 

Okay, here goes, deep breathe and remove the mask. Luckily this doesn't seem to phase my teammates much. They've seen my face, even though I still wear the mask most of the time.

However, I'm not quite done yet.

"Name's Timothy Drake or... Robin." By the looks of disbelief on their faces I've succeed in shocking them. Niiiice! I've always got to keep my team on their toes; they've got to be ready for anything. I take another breath and continue. "I'm a fifteen year old guy with a dad and a step-mom. I go to a private school with friends and live like any other teenager. It's nice to finally meet Young Justice." I smile to the gang and feel... actually I feel pretty good.

There's Batman's "trust" thrown right back in his face...

...and it feels *good*.

THE END (?)


End file.
